The Magic of the Bledisloe Cup

International rivalries are some of the most defining aspects of world rugby and the pride and patriotism on show are a joy to behold. That’s why these competitions are so important, and there is another competition that upholds all of those credentials, but might not be quite as well known by fans of the Six Nations teams.

Finding out about international teams and players is all-important for any rugby fan. Whether it is for discovering new players or so, after reading an honest BetNow review, they can predict the next World Cup winner. Discovering the history of our game is very important in that regard - and that is why we think you should discover all about the magic of the Bledisloe Cup.

For a small nation a long way from most other places, New Zealand has definitely overachieved in a number of spheres over the decades. Probably the best-known sports team to represent the country is the All Blacks. Three-time World champions and feared throughout the rugby world,

New Zealand has used the sport to get one over the likes of England, as well as its bigger and brasher neighbor, Australia.

As with any good sporting rivalry, the games between New Zealand and Australia are spectacles of intense competition and are played for the Bledisloe Cup. Now played as an annual two-game series, it has formerly been competed over three and four games as well as on a much more irregular basis. These days it also forms part of the wider Rugby Championship, but it is still eagerly anticipated as a standalone series by the fans of both nations.

There is some dispute as to when the first Bledisloe Cup game was played. Australian history books point to the meeting in 1931, when New Zealand claimed the honors by winning 20-13 in Auckland. The Kiwis say the inaugural games took place a year later when the All Blacks won two in a three-game series. Either way, New Zealand began this organized rivalry with a victory and has been pretty dominant ever since.

What is not argued is that the cup is named after Lord Bledisloe, New Zealand’s governor-general from 1930 to 1935, who wanted to award a trophy to the winners of rugby competition between the All Blacks and the Wallabies. And what a trophy it is. Over 71cm tall and made of sterling silver, it weighs just over 8 kg. It is adorned with the pattern of New Zealand ferns and kowhai flowers, and Australian gum nuts and wattle. In true rugby spirit, it is also reportedly able to hold 33 cans of beer.

As for the rugby itself, the Bledisloe Cup was the prize played for irregularly between 1931 and 1981, with the two nations meeting during international tours. Then from 1982 to 1995, the series became an annual affair, usually as part of a three-match series. It was included as part of the Tri Nations Series with that competition’s launch in 1996 – and that has now become the Rugby Championship after its own expansion.

Throughout the history of the Bledisloe Cup, the All Blacks have been utterly dominant. The current running series total (according to official statistics) is New Zealand 54, Australia 12. The Kiwis have kept the cup since Australia’s last series victory in 2003. It has been almost five years since the Wallabies even won a single match in a series, but still the excitement and anticipation are high before every meeting – on both sides of the Tasman Sea.

Unsurprisingly, the Bledisloe Cup is a huge draw for New Zealand rugby fans, and there are whole generations who have known nothing but domination when it comes to the competition. Putting one over the Aussies is a huge incentive for the Kiwis and this consistent show of strength is celebrated throughout the country. It is maybe even more impressive, then, that the fervor for the event is just as evenly matched in Australia.

Australians are not used to losing when it comes to sports – and rugby union is not universally popular across the nation. Entire regions prefer the league code or the home-grown sport of Aussie Rules. Cricket is the real universal sport Down Under but there are still some fanatical,

long-suffering rugby union supporters across the country – and the Bledisloe Cup is the one they want their team to win.

Even though individual wins have been few and far between since the Wallabies golden era of the 1990s, Aussie fans can still take hope in the fact that their team raises itself for every encounter with the All Blacks and shows that it can compete with arguably the best rugby union team in the world.

New Zealand retained the Bledisloe Cup with a game to spare this year, so Australia will already be looking towards 2026 for the next opportunity to wrestle the imposing trophy away from its near neighbor. The Rugby Championship and other international tours will take precedence until then, but there is no doubt that the two Bledisloe Cup games will be the ones that players, coaches, and fans on both sides will be most looking forward to.